The Dark King
by LaurelynFaye
Summary: She had known it was a trap, but she hadn't been able to resist. She had known it was a bad idea, but that didn't stop her. Her weakness was his advantage, her desire fore knowledge his open door. She was his, she just didn't know it yet. Dark Harmony, AU.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer, HP= not mine

The Dark King

Chapter 1; The Trap

Leave a light, for the solider in the night,

Spare a light, for the child lost to fright,

Keep a light, for the lives gone to the fight,

Save a light for, for those whom serpents bite,

Spark a light, for those who fight for what's right,

Place a light, for the voices lost to the blight.

The torches flickered against the black stone, casting dark shadows on the walls that took on the grotesque forms of the night-mare creatures that had haunted both her sleeping and waking hours in the time since she had been caught in the Dark King's library, a mere two days ago that seemed like an eternity. Her friends and order mates had warned her that she would be caught, that the risk wasn't worth it, that the Dark king would not spare her for the sake of their old friendship. She knew all of this, knew that she would probably be caught but, she couldn't resist, couldn't help the draw, especially since the rumor had been confirmed that He had acquired a rare first edition of Merlin's _Study of Magic,_ in it's original format.

In the mere months since He had conquered their world and ascended to the throne He had amassed a formidable library, muggle and magical, full of literary treasures and first editions and with every hour that had passed her desire grew until she could no longer resist.

When the temptation, the mouth watering hunger, for the knowledge contained within His library had become too much to bear she began to plan. She could not, would not, enter the castle while He was still in residence, because His magic was so very powerful and so very familiar with hers that he would sense her in moments of her setting foot in the castle. So she waited patiently for his absence, in this case a diplomatic trip to Australia, to ensure that is Asiatic conquests were safe, and then she had struck.

Getting into the castle had involved complicated cloaking wards and all of her skills and knowledge, which were admittedly extensive. The library was enchanting, so much that she failed to notice that her cloaking wards had disappeared, and she simply stood there and stared for a moment, until, that was, she heard a shout in the hallway and the sound of running footsteps echoed in her ears.

She cursed and began to run just as she felt the emergency wards slam down, blanketing her, smothering her magic, making it difficult to breathe.

Next she knew she was locked in this room, no wand, magic suppressed by layer upon layer of wards, each a thin sheet inhibiting her breathing. Meals appeared as she slept and the dishes vanished when she finished them.

She was dozing by in a chair by the fire when the door swung open with a bang, a tall man in a black cape strode into the room, boots clicking against the stones. Her head shot up taking in the man from top to bottom, and she was stunned as she recognized the strong, confident man as Neville, Neville Longbottom, wearing the Regalia of the Capitan of the Kings guard. She smiled sadly then spoke "You've grown since I last saw you, Neville. I'm sorry I was not there to see it."

He knelt to the ground in front of her, and took her hands in his, smiling gently. When he spoke it was a rough rasp of a sound "And you've grown into a Lady while you were away, a sight I would have been honored to see. I am sorry you have not been visited before now. When word came of your arrival My Lord could not leave, and it took some time for me to get through the customs, I trust you have been treated well?"

"Better than I expected to be treated upon trespassing in the King's home, though you were apparently waiting for me, because the enchantments used to clear personal cloaking wards have to be tuned to one person. Can it be assumed that the library was a planned trap set specifically for me?" she responded wryly.

He grinned, mirthful and nodded his head to one side. "We knew you would show up sooner or later, there was no way you would have been able to resist that much knowledge in one place, as for whether or not the whole library was created just for you, some things aren't for me to tell Hermione. I'm actually mildly disappointed, three more days would have won me fifty Galleons! You couldn't have lasted three more days?"

Her brows drew together in confusion as she absentmindedly replied "I didn't know how long Harry would be gone, and I knew if I got within ten miles of this place while he was here he would know exactly where I was. But…" she trailed off, continuing when Neville made a carry on gesture "You said we, and I know that Harry wouldn't ever gamble, not like that, so who else is there?"

Neville blinked in surprise "You mean you don't know?" he questioned, shocked.

Hermione shrugged "We've lost track of who's who and what's where, the Order has been more concerned with keeping off the grid, keeping track of where Harry was."

Neville looked at her seriously, before his growly rasp came out stronger than ever before "That's one thing I don't understand, Hermione, why are you opposing him? Under his reign crime has become non-existent, prejudice is the worst offense, the Death Eaters are gone, all magical creatures are equal, and most of the Magical world is united under His Majesty's banner. Why would you oppose that?"

She looked at him incredulously "Because, Neville, he does all of that at the expense of freedom, at the expense of liberty, and he intends to expand over the entire world." Neville made a noise of protest, and Hermione held up a hand. "I know Harry, Neville, he doesn't do things by half, and he certainly wouldn't take over only half the world when he thinks he can save the whole of it by doing so." Neville was about to respond when a little red light lit up on his wrist, and a small alarm went off.

He stood, bent over her hand politely, and apologized, saying "I'm sorry but that is something I must attend to, I will see you in a few hours and we will talk, catch up, if you will, but until then, Goodbye." And with that he swept out of her room, the door closing firmly behind him, and with it, the last window of opportunity she had to escape this castle.

A/N- So my first Harry Potter fanfic, what do y'all think? Um also I need a Beta, so if


	2. Chapter 2 The Line

Disclaimer; If I were J.K. Rowling… well I'm not, let's just leave it at that, shall we?

The Dark King

Chapter 2; The Line

We are all a little Dark, and all a little Light.

What do we chose to do with that in the middle of the Night?

Perhaps to do what is Right

Or to do what brings Fright.

Do we choose to set the world Alight?

Do we choose to bring the gods Delight?

What do we choose when we are beyond other's Sight?

Neville had returned within a few hours, brining dinner with him, and as he sat across from her, at the table in front of the fire place she watched him eat silently. He did so with all the delicacy of a man who has not had the opportunity to savor a meal in some time, and knows not when such a chance might come again. She, however, ate sparingly, her focus shifting from the man seated across from her to the familiar serving girl in the corner, whose name she could not place, and back. So intent was she, in fact that when Neville began to speak she jolted, causing him to chuckle as she almost knocked a serving dish from the table.

"So Hermione" he said, his eyes harshly amused "How have you been of late? Other than being held hostage in the Castle of a Man you hate of course."

She drew in a short, shocked breath and responded sharply, "I don't hate Harry!" She continued, ignoring the shocked gasp of the girl in the corner "I could _never_, hate Harry!" Neville watched her, eyes solemn, as she tried to calm herself so that she might explain. "I could never hate Harry. He is- or rather he was my best friend. My fondest memories are Harry's, the moments I treasure the most, closest to my heart, are Harry's. But the Harry I knew wasn't this Harry." She sighed gesturing to the opulent room around her. "I simply don't understand what could have turned him into-into this!" Her voice was frantic as she pointed to the serving girl in the corner. "I woke one day, from what I was told was a three month long coma, to find my best friend, whom I would have followed to the ends of the earth, trying to conquer our world, and succeeding." The last words came out as a sob "I just don't understand."

Neville stared at her for a moment, mouth in a hard, thin line, eyes serious, before turning to the serving girl, who stood speechless in the corner and dismissing her with a sharp "Leave us."

As the girl scurried, frantically out of the room, the door slamming shut behind her Neville stood and began to pace. Then he turned to her "How much do you know of what happened that day in The Ministry?" he rasped, slowly.

She blinked at the abrupt change. "I know that the prophecy the Death Eaters were after was destroyed, I know that Sirius was almost lost through the Veil, I know that Harry destroyed Voldemort that day, with a blast or Wild Magic. Was there anything else?" She questioned, quietly, confused.

He turned rapidly, his shoulders tense, as he snarled in answer to her, obvious in his fight to control himself. When his breathing was even he turned and spoke to her sternly "Yes, Hermione there was something else, in fact it was something particularly important. Are you sure you recall nothing else about that day?" When she shook her head he sighed. "You nearly breathed your last breath that day, Hermione. We were mere moments from you passing into the great beyond. _That _is what caused His Majesty's burst of Wild Magic. Nearly losing you was what gave His Majesty the strength to defeat Voldemort." He shook his head solemnly "Then when we thought it was finally over, when we thought we were safe, when we thought we had won the peace, the pure-blood sympathizer that was your Healer at St. Mungos attempted to assassinate you, and very nearly succeeded!"

Hermione, eyes wide, was denying every word, her head shaking frantically back and forth. She could not be the reason Harry was able to fell Voldemort. She was not, it was impossible, she was not even the person whom he would miss most, as their fourth year had proven. Neville simply stared at her as she rejected his words, waiting for her to cease her denials.

"It was then that His Majesty decided that such threats _could not _be allowed to continue, that the only way to prevent new supremacist group from rising from the ashes of the old was to rid the world of such a mentality. Permanently. And if the only way to ensure such a result was force, then so be it. Under His Majesty's banner the world will know equality, even if we have to raze it to the ground to make certain of it, there will be no more prejudice, no more slavery, no more injustice. All will know peace. And it will all be because of you. Don't you see, Hermione, can't you understand, that everything His Majesty had done, he has done for you. Every country we brought to His banner, every slave we set free, every race we made equal with all others, was for you. Every time our forces marched across a nation, they did so for you!" His words were fierce and bold, his eyes burning with the passion and madness of revolution.

"Neville, enough!" A deep voice rang across the room, drawing both pairs of eyes to the door way, and thus to the man standing in it. His aura spread across the room, the rush of his magic against her skin like a cold caress. He was tall and broad, his features masculine and harsh, his eyes were a soul piercing green, and settled upon his brow, over long midnight hair was a golden circlet.

Neville genuflected, hand over his heart, and gasped "Your Majesty!"

Hermione merely tilted her head toward him and said softly "Harry."

A/N; Wow, just wow guys. I am astonished by the reaction to this story, and honored. Over 18 favorites and 40 follows in the first week, for the first chapter. Only 8 reviews though. Hmm I guess some of y'all missed the button! It's okay I do too. I, however, would not mind just a few more reviews! For those of you who did review last time, "THANK YOU SO MUCH!" and for those of you with questions I hope this Chapter clarified some things. Thanks For Reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not mine. Never will be.

Author's Note: I am so terribly sorry. I've had a massive case of writers block in addition to a thousand other things that have been going on, plus school and debate, so again really very sorry. I had a huge amount of trouble carving Harry out. I had no idea how he would act, both with Hermione and not. So I settled for something Semi believable.

It was inevitable, they said.

I loved him, he loved me.

We were a pair, meant to be.

Not anymore as you can surely see.

It was something no one could forsee,

A terrible tragedy,

I found him under a willow tree,

My love, sprawled in the shade, his heartbeat absentee.

Closed were his eyes, which had once sparkled and laughed and teased me.

Gone was his soul, severed from its tethers and set free.

I wailed and knelt at his knee.

Begging and Bargaining, hoping for an answer to my plea,

But alas, such an answer was never meant to be.

For when the days had passed one, two, three,

We set my love adrift upon the kindly, gentle sea,

With him went my life and my heart's key,

For our love was fated never to be.

"Hermione" he responded softly, ignoring the genuflecting Neville, his voice surprisingly soft. His eyes were gentle as they roamed her body hungrily, before he turned to Neville. "Would you be so generous as to grant us some privacy, my friend?" He addressed his Capitan, more command than question.

Neville rose and bowed "Of course. My Lord, My lady" he acquiesced, hurrying from the room.

As the door closed quietly behind Neville, Harry strode forward, dropping to His knees before her, clasping her hands in His own. She sensed his magic washing over her, entwining with her own, ensuring that she had no injuries. It was comforting in its familiarity, but frightening in its power. She pulled her hand from his grasp reaching out to caress his face, fingers dancing from His jaw and the scar that sat across it to the worry lines at his eyes, before she extended her hand to brush his hair back. He leaned his cheek into her palm, closing his eyes.

"You have gotten taller" She said simply. And he had. He was now perhaps a foot taller than her 5'3', his shoulders broader and stronger than she remembered. His scarred hands engulfed her much smaller ones.

His eyes opened slowly, their bright intensity taking her breath away. "When I saw you last, you were not there. Your body was there, but you were empty. Just a shell." He whispered harshly. "I have not seen you in the three years hence, and I have missed you dearly." Rising to his feet, he pulled her to him, resting his forehead against her own.

She let out a choked sob, her heart breaking with grief, her very soul lamenting for the time they had lost, the sorrow overwhelming. Overwhelming Sorrow for the pain her dearest friend had endured, Sorrow for the world that had suffered his wrath.

"I missed you, horribly, Harry. I missed you every day" She whispered as tears shining with firelight escaped down her face leaving glistening tear tracks down her cheeks. Her eyes opened slowly, as her tears were gently wiped away. His eyes bored into hers as he brushed her hair back from her face, stroking his fingers across her brow.

"Do not cry, Hermione. I will give you the stars themselves if you will but dry your eyes, forevermore." He ordered desperately.

She gave a laugh that was almost a sob, racking her body as she shook her head, before leaning it against his chest. "You have never been very sympathetic to crying girls." She muttered quietly, her heart heavy with remembrance of his various romances. She felt him frown against the crown of her head, before he pulled back from her, searching her face with his forceful stare.

A sudden chill engulfed the room as his aura darkened suddenly, as though he was abruptly furious. His voice was hard as he spoke. "You are not just any girl off the streets. You are special. You are Hermione. My Hermione." He took a deep breath, holding her gaze, and she was entranced as the emerald green fluctuated with gold. "I promise you the stars to cease your tears because to hear your sorrow rends my soul. For no other reason. For no other person. Do you understand?"

She nodded before drawing away from him, and turned toward the roaring fire, which, despite its size, did nothing to ward her against the unnatural cold that had descended.

They stood that way for an immeasurable amount of time. She fought with herself, hating the hope that had bloomed within her at his words, hope for something she had longed for since the first day they had met. A hope she had suppressed over the years, knowing she was much to plain, much to boring, for her wonderful, exciting friend to ever see in the way she had prayed for. Yet she could not hope for these things, for the boy had become a man of great, and terrible power. Power he had devoted to things her very soul rebelled against. How could she still care for him in such a way, even with her knowledge of what he had done? Was she a monster for even those fleeting thoughts? Eventually she could stand it no more and she spoke of the first thing she could think of.

"Neville, he spoke, he mentioned others… others who knew me well" She stuttered out, turning back to him, and though the chill began to recede he only raised an eyebrow to her statement. She swallowed, dreading the answer to her question. "May I inquire as to whom he referred to?"

The cold receded farther as Harry stared at her silently for a moment, before the corner of his mouth turned upward, just the slightest bit.

"I hold the loyalty of many, Hermione" He answered. "Many who fight for equality beneath my banner, many who fight in your name."

She crumpled to her knees, devastated by the confirmation of Neville's words, desolate with the knowledge of her part in the Fall of the World. The Fall to Darkness. Head buried in her hands she grieved, mourning in her guilt.

The Dark King, Sorcerer Supreme, The Imperial Guardian of the World held her as she wept, as she keened, as she sobbed. He held her until she fell into blessed sleep.

And because she was blissfully unconscious she does not see his actions. She is unaware as he places a circlet of silver round her head, as he lays her gently in the bed, covering her carefully. She does not feel his lips press against her own. She does not know of the gem in the circlet, full now, of her magic and his, that ensures he will always be able to find her. She knows naught of his touch to her temples, ensuring that she dreams of him, only of him, always of him. She does not know.

Author's Note: Okay so I'm gonna let ya'll decide Ron's fate. He's dead, but whether he died fighting at Harry's side, or against him is your choice my dear readers. Also, would you like Luna to be introduced in the next chapter? I'm still trying to decide.


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